Will tonight be The Longest Time that two hours have ever felt like? If Only The Good Die Young does that mean we will never see the end of Idol? Will the Piano Man play on a Baby Grand for the promise of Easy Money. Will the Pimp Spot to to the Big Shots? After all Everybody Has A Dream. I Go To Extremes when the idols sing dirges insisting that It's Still Rock And Roll To Me. Who will be Keeping The Faith and who will give into the Pressure and Say Goodbye To Hollywood? Will Anyone Get It Right The First Time or will this be another night of And So It Goes.

• Intro,Snidget, 08:03 PM, 03-21-12
• DeAndre Brackensick,Snidget, 08:06 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: DeAndre Brackensick,Snidget, 08:10 PM, 03-21-12
  • Well...,Estee, 08:14 PM, 03-21-12
    • RE: Well...,Snidget, 08:17 PM, 03-21-12
• Erika Van Pelt,Snidget, 08:17 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Erika Van Pelt,Snidget, 08:21 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Erika Van Pelt,Estee, 08:24 PM, 03-21-12
• Joshua Ledet,Snidget, 08:29 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Joshua Ledet,Estee, 08:34 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Joshua Ledet,Snidget, 08:34 PM, 03-21-12
• Skylar Laine,Snidget, 08:41 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Skylar Laine,Snidget, 08:45 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Skylar Laine,Estee, 08:46 PM, 03-21-12
• Elise Testone,Snidget, 08:52 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Elise Testone,Snidget, 08:56 PM, 03-21-12
  • Girl not on fire.,Estee, 08:58 PM, 03-21-12
• No longer trying to ban baggy pants,Snidget, 09:00 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: No longer trying to ban baggy pants,Estee, 09:04 PM, 03-21-12
    • RE: No longer trying to ban baggy pants,Snidget, 09:06 PM, 03-21-12
      • RE: No longer trying to ban baggy pants,Estee, 09:08 PM, 03-21-12
• Phillip Phillips,Snidget, 09:05 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Phillip Phillips,Snidget, 09:09 PM, 03-21-12
  • The day the music died.,Estee, 09:11 PM, 03-21-12
• Hollie Cavanagh,Snidget, 09:17 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Hollie Cavanagh,Snidget, 09:22 PM, 03-21-12
    • RE: Hollie Cavanagh,zazzy, 02:45 PM, 03-23-12
  • RE: Hollie Cavanagh,Estee, 09:23 PM, 03-21-12
• Heejun Han,Snidget, 09:30 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Heejun Han,Snidget, 09:34 PM, 03-21-12
  • That was not a song.,Estee, 09:34 PM, 03-21-12
    • RE: That was not a song.,Snidget, 09:38 PM, 03-21-12
      • RE: That was not a song.,Estee, 09:49 PM, 03-21-12
• Jessica Sanchez,Snidget, 09:42 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Jessica Sanchez,Snidget, 09:45 PM, 03-21-12
  • Traveling on the Pia Expressway.,Estee, 09:45 PM, 03-21-12
• Colton Dixon,Snidget, 09:52 PM, 03-21-12
  • Year Of The Lying Colton.,Estee, 09:55 PM, 03-21-12
  • RE: Colton Dixon,Snidget, 09:56 PM, 03-21-12

Saying goodbye is never easy. And so it goes.
But for the 10 who remain, it is time to look ahead. Trying to do the photoshoot while they are all crying and sad that they have to go on tour.

Judges take the long walk. Will Randy out crazy Steven in the wardrobe department again. Ryan down the stairs for doom in a three piece suit.

Another week of intense competition. Good news, they will be going on tour. Song book of Billy Joel is the theme. Steven has sung with Billy Joel.

He says if you can't sing Billy Joel you can't sing at all. With Jimmy Iovine, Diddy helping out and Hilfinger Styling them.

"Only the Good Die Young"

If you can't smile when you sing this song you can't smile. Diddy says this is a hard song to do. Jimmy won't let Diddy talk. Jimmy Iovine has the whole repressed Catholic thing down.

First four lines, look straight at Jennifer, she's Catholic, she'll get it.

DOA if he doesn't have fun.

OK, the key just sounds wrong to start with. GAH this arrangement is about to kill me.

Guy riffing on the piano trying to drown out the rest of the arrangement, but it doesn't work and the horns come back.

Steven. Got some fans here. Thought it was a little too happy, that is why you and I are still here Randy.

J. Great way to start the show, laid back vibe. Islandy feel. When it needed to be hard you got that to. Good job.

R. I think it was a great way to start a show. Didn't show me anything special, I think it was a good job. Didn't wow me but it was OK., alright.

...he should live forever.

Just got in. Was that entire opening post from memory on the song titles?

I wish, but I did pull up a song list to look over the options.

New York State of Mind. Hold back but take some risks, that is nice consistent mentoring. Style consultation.

Tommy tells her to chop all her hair off.

Oh and it's dark rather than blond.

She did a nice job of that.

R. Give it up. I love the look. It is so different. Dude I love that and I love the vocals, one of the best singers. Can sing the phone book. They were right about the over-singing, those that can do should. You can go to some runs, treat it like it should be then wear us out at the end.

J. I agree such a beautiful vocal. I love the hair too. Love to see you when you let loose, opening your body to take us home. Have the chops to do that. Wanted to see you unplant your feet. Vocal was beautiful.

S. Put more character, you can sing great. I think you ware it like beautiful.

Does anyone else think the show is trying to preserve her by making her look more fraulike?

Her best performance to date, but it still wasn't anything extraordinary. In a season where mediocrity has been the high-water mark, she's just barely out of the kiddie pool. Which puts her about four fathoms ahead of last week. When the Worster management is talking about switching shows because Idol is doing such a good job at killing itself, Nigel may be in trouble...

Wants to wear all black, Tommy wants to put him in a tuxedo and dress him up.

She's Got A Way.

Diddy says don't make it so screamy in the rough spots, but who is Joshua if he isn't screamy. He didn't connect with the song at first.

I don't remember asking for a Joker grin.

It feels as if the disconnect is with the romantic elements of the song. It's one thing to come across as not having experience with that kind of relationship, but Joshua feels as if he isn't even building on daydreams. I think that's what Jennifer's trying to get at in her review: this is the dancer who's never seen the dance.

Return of the sway bots, starts seated then get ups and walks around. So to make him more pop they give him the church choir to bring it home with.

Does something really weird with the anyways.

J. Billy Joel wrote his life in his songs, in such a beautiful and descriptive way, you should really feel it. Feel stupid to say anything negative as you sing so crazy. The choir is where you live, America loves that song so much, wanted you to be more connected to it. Do you know what I mean baby. Singing it but not singing it

S. I think you took a song I don't know and I wasn't too up on it. Sang your life, it came to life with your soul. Sang the sweat out of that song.

R. Interesting position. I can see where they are coming from. With a voice like yours never feel defeated. Can always turn that on. Just jump in and make it your own. They are both right, in the end you made it your own. 1/2 1/2 thing.

Awestruck at the mentor session.

Singing Shameless.

Diddy says it feels forced. He loves her natural vibe. Tommy wants to evolve her look without losing the boots.

Sitting on the edge of the stage to start.

That dress does not do good things to her shape. Doing better once she got back to standing still, had trouble singing and walking.

R. Remember a Brad Paisley, she was thinking of Garth Brooks version. Thought the intro was pitchy then got in your comfort zone. Pretty good.

J. I love your attack, you are fearless, eat it up. By the end you have the audience with you.

S. Amazed you hit the chorus with such conviction, you breath life into a song.

I'm enjoying the feeling of being able to blame Wardrobe by name, because that outfit said exactly one thing, one word, four letters: 'Hips!'

As for the performance... I'm getting a little sick of the double standard for box formation and abandonment. Everyone has to try and leave their comfort zone once in a while -- unless they're a country singer, in which case any attempt to displace them is treated as a greater offense than shoving a state out of the Union. Skylar may not be a one-note singer, but she's a one-genre performer. And for this song being shoved into that genre? Square peg, round hole, undersized hammer.

Coming live to you from the bottom three each week...

Vienna. Jimmy afraid that no one is going to know this song. Diddy says lets make this special.

Style consultation. Very layered up and hiding her body. She wants a sweet pair of bell bottoms. But they went back on the rack.

Very Jazzy. I like it, but I don't think America will. In a long dress rather than pants.

Standing O from the judges.

S. All over the place but still stayed in the room. Heart in it. You were beautiful.

J. So happy for you, just want to shake you, such a beautiful thing, confident, what you did with your voice. See your personality in your performance.

R. Taking on Billy Joel, like what everyone has done, this is the reason she is in this competition. That vocal performance I look for a moment, that run at the end is so difficult.

And that's mostly referring to the outfit. (The frau will not be kind.)

Is this a singing competition or a marching band? Whole lot of movement this week. Trying to keep them on some sort of beat via the walking rhythm? If so, it's mixed results so far.

I'm thankful to get a song we haven't had dozens of times before this, and it let me see her as putting a stamp on it because I didn't have any memory of the original to work against. Again, a stronger effort than she had last week and we're approaching the borders of tolerable for the averaged group as a whole -- but no one's broken out yet.

Now going after the sports bra so says the local news.

Ban it from being used as a solo top or ban it from being worn it all? Ban attempt from who? Would they like to ban given sizes next? If someone enters your territory, are they subject to search and seizure?

*sigh* Anyone wanna ask me why I don't venture south?

Looks like they are against the sports bra as top on its own.

It isn't like you could drop from heat exhaustion down here exercising...

*groans*

Wanna introduce a bill banning males from shirtless exercise and see how far it gets?

Talking Pawn Shops in front of the Manic Coke Logo.

Tommy thinks he needs some help.

Movin' Out dirge version. Diddy wants to hear it without the guitar. You ain't gotta do the Diddy, but gotta get into the groove.

Who are these random girls at rehearsal. He is not about singing to some girls.

Wearing Grey, playing the guitar, making mad constipated baby faces.

J. Felt like you were taking out a little bit of aggression. You are who you are, have to be who you are, saw the response. Awesome performance.

Defending the guitar.

S. Took that song and phillip phillips it. Can't listen to them. I'm glad you wore grey. Steven gives him a scarf to wear with it.

R. Did everything he was told not to...those who do, should. Unbelievably talented. Stick to your guns, you know who you are. It was brilliant.

And into the basement we drop.

That arrangement killed the rhythm of the original. It carved up the lyrics, sliced out the heart, trapped the spirit in a tiny black sapphire, and served the remains at a crematorium. And Randy is lying through his overpaid mouth by calling this anything other than the funeral for a murdered friend it was mutilated into, with PSquared serving as both accessory and final executioner. I am on the verge of physical illness from having listened to that. This is a Brown Note and if there's any justice, when Nigel sees the ratings and iTunes sales for that fiasco, he will call for his brown pants.

So this is the Chosen One. Chose another series.

Message from Brother Luke. Shaklee the dog? Oh dear.

Will they make her dress her age?

Honesty,

Helped her understand the song, and some vocal notes as well from Diddy.

Did someone stuff her mouth with cotton, enunciation on the start was really bizarre.

S. Hold the notes really long, were a little pitchy, over thinking the song, in a week or so you could kill that song.

J. Take on these big songs, have to know every single note. Your voice, the sound is one of my favorites. Don't distract us by going slightly off.

R. We give you guys constructive criticism as you can be great. Choruses were great, pitch issues, could feel you thinking in your head. Great job with the styling, you are better than that.

Her parents are British.

I'm starting to figure out Tommy's style. He picks one body area he wants everyone to look at and figures he can do whatever he wants with the rest because no one's ever going to see it. And he has an odd affection for disco balls.

It didn't feel as if she was having fun with that, but why should she get more out of than the viewership? Honesty: the last thing we will ever hear from the judges. There are more honest politicians.

Actually, there are more honest PR agents.

Hayley Reinhart performing tomorrow.

Diddy not sure what Heejun is, maybe even being Asian is a con.

Tommy, I think Heejun was testing me.

Tuxedo with a knit cap, stops the piano guy, that is too slow. Wants to dance,

My Life. Bright color blocked T over a red/orange shirt.

OMG this is bad. He cannot sing in this key. Wait, does he have lenses in his glasses this week?

S. does not look amused.

J. I love that you brought a little fun, a lot of ballads tonight. Breath of fresh air. Because you were running around you didn't hit the vocal the way you wanted to. Lot of fun, enjoyed it.

S. He Man. I'm a little tongue tied, are you happy you took the ##### out of that song. The music business will kick your ##### you have to take it more serious.

R. Last week a little rough. Had a good time, entertaining, had some vocal problems, glad to see you have a good time. Funny dude, love that part of it. I was entertained.

That was a pair of raised middle fingers held in Nigel's specific direction. And gawds, that was fun. If that doesn't get him the Worsters, nothing will. Was it great? Nope. But it rocked. First person to do that all night.

Oh, and Mir. Combs? Piss off.

LAST EDITED ON 03-21-12 AT 09:43 PM (EST)

The VFTW Victory sign is getting a workout over on their Play by Play thresd.

ETA: The banner is already up.

They have their horse: let's see how far he can run.

She love fashion and clothes.

Everybody Has a Dream (screaming it first time through).

Diddy, I don't believe you, and you are over-singing. Pull back on the tricks. Less is more. Sings it to Diddy and he gets it.

Standing O from the judges. I'm yawning over another big song sung big.

S. Gone way past my judging. So at the front of the line for vocal chords. Thank you for letting me hear you sing.

J. Like he wrote that song for you. That is you, a beautiful thing.

R. What I am loving is it takes consistency to win, every week have a moment every time you step on that stage. Yo, Jimmy, Diddy, Tommy, excellent coaching. Perfection.

Guaranteed express speed straight to B3 and one very final destination.

Image, doesn't want to go after a certain people wants his own style, edgy, punk rock, military style.

Tommy worried about the hair, outfit will dictate the image.

Piano Man, and who did not predict this...

Jimmy says he knows where the song live.

The closest he's ever going to get with punk and military is a Kool-Aid stain on the sleeves of his Cub Scout uniform. And the closest this performance will ever come to competence is in the minds of the judges. For the rest of the world, it'll remain self-indulgent svck.

Pimp yourself out, Third Place.

Red Grand Piano with slowly swaying uplit spotlights. Might just be camera angles...

J. You sing with pure feeling, goosies from head to told. Diddy gave you the biggest complement.

S. Choice of chords when your voice resolved was amazing.

R. You want to be an individual. Did amazing things and interesting arrangements. Making it so simple made it different. Lvoe the hair and the voice.